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Buechel Memorial Lakota Museum

The Buechel Memorial Museum will be open from Monday, May 26th for the 2014 spring and summer season. Our regular hours are:

Monday thru Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Saturday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Sunday: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Holidays: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

The Buechel Memorial Lakota Museum in St. Francis, South Dakota demonstrates the Mission’s enduring respect for the traditions, culture, and history of the Lakota of the Rosebud Reservation. Named after Father Eugene Buechel, S.J., a noted missionary, linguist, and ethnologist who came to St. Francis Mission in 1902, the museum contains many unique artifacts, images, and documents.

The Buechel Memorial Lakota Museum is an important resource for historians, ethnographers, anthropologists, and artists. Today there are over two thousand items in the ethnographic collection as well as an extensive photographic collection that exceeds 42,000 items. Pictures of the exhibits are permitted; however, in order to protect the exhibits, “flash” or other artificial lighting is not permitted.

In need of a photograph for research or a project? Download our Photo Archive permission form at the bottom of this page!

Groups:

Please make a reservation ahead of time in order to make the visit comfortable and informative.

Directions:

St. Francis is accessible from several highways. To the north of the Reservation is Interstate 90. Crossing the reservation are State Highways 44 and 18. To the south of the reservation in Nebraska is Highway 20.

Gift Shop:

Articles for purchase in the Museum Gift Shop are made locally by the Lakota people. The local vendors, in negotiation with the museum director, receive a fair price for their work. Profits from the gift shop support the work of preserving and displaying Lakota artifacts.

Visit our online store to view and purchase some of the items available in our gift shop. (Coming soon!)

Photo Archive Permission Form

Artifact of the month:

This month’s artifact is a tobacco pouch.

The tobacco pouch is made from the hide of a prairie dog. The museum recieved this item in 1915.